I was just refreshing my memory (my memory needs a lot of refreshing about almost everything) on the board guide lines and it occurred to me that just about anything that might be talked about in the gay/bi/trans forum should technically be in the open discussion forum according to the guidelines.

I don't want to stir things up but I gotta say this bothers me.
There is already a guideline concerning the targeting of any group which I assume includes sexual minorities. But making the discussion of all the gay issues listed under "trigger issues" something to take to the open discussion forum raises two questions: What is the gay/bi/trans forum for if not discussing these issues, and more importantly, is the reasons behind this being that these issues are controversial?

Personally I feel that the concern about an issue being controversial should be confined to issues such as religion where there is no clear right or wrong side..at least from an objective standpoint. But to say that speaking of anything to do with being gay must be said, not in the gay/bi/trans forum as you would naturally assume but in the open discussion forum because of it's "controversial" nature seems to me to be giving too much respect to the side of the controversy that is not "controversial" but just clearly discriminatory and wrong.

It implies to me that homophobes on the site should be pandered to by them being given as much protection from the opinions of homosexuals as the homosexuals are given from the opinions of homophobes. I don't see any measures, for instance to protect racist survivors from the opinions of black survivors. Should there then be measures to protect homophobes from homosexuals?

I guess I might be reading that whole thing all wrong, and I really hope I am, but to be honest, speaking as a bisexual I kind of get a discriminated against feeling being told in the guidelines that I must take all discussion of my sexuality to the open discussion forum to keep the homophobes from being exposed to my views. I mean if the homophobes don't want to read the posts of homosexuals, they can jolly well stay out of the gay/bi/trans forum, no?

I understand that homophobia is one of the many possible manifestations of abuse...but so is acting out and molesting kids! It's still wrong and should not be tolerated here by making the gays feel like they are once again hiding everything to do with their sexuality in order to fit into the scheme of things!

Doug,

Thanks for drawing this to our attention. It's been posted in the Mod Forum for discussion and we will try to figure out a solution as soon as we can. You are identifying a real problem and we do need to find an answer. It is certainly a good point that those who are triggered by discussion of gay issues can just avoid reading in the gay/bi/trans forum, and we do not want you guys to feel marginalized or discriminated against in any way here.

Larry, aka roadrunner
ModTeam Coordinator

Doug,

I would just add to what Larry said that from the archive reading I've done I see the Gay/Bi/Trans and the Sexual Identity forums were originally set up at the request of the men on the site that felt they needed someplace specific for those topics rather than discussing their issues in the other forums.

I don't say that as a means of negating any point you make, but to share a bit of the history of the forums in question and why they were originally set up. We are discussing this topic and it's good you brought it up. Thanks.

John

Thanks guys.